JAMES COOK, [pages 1085-1086] farmer of Washington township, Montgomery county, Ohio, was born in Lincolnshire, England, May 11, 1835. His parents, William and Elizabeth (Nailor) Cook, were natives of England. To them there were born seven children, five of whom are still living, as follows: William, John, James, Alfred, and Mary, widow of George Driver, and who lives in Crawfordsville, Ind. William Cook had also one child by a former marriage. William Cook was a laboring man, came to the United States more than forty years ago, and lived in Washington township, Montgomery county, for many years. At length he removed to Crawfordsville, Ind., with his daughter, Mary, and died there in 1893, at the great age of 103 years. His wife died about forty years ago. Both the grandfathers of James Cook were natives of England, and died in that country.
James Cook was seventeen years of age when brought to the United States by his parents, and began life here with no means whatever. At the present time he has 102 acres of land in Washington township, the result of his industry and perseverance. On the i3th of October, 1869, he was married to Nannie McGrew, daughter of Milton and Anna (Russell) McGrew. To this marriage there have been born three children—Milton William, Anna Miriam and Mary Rebecca. Of these, Milton William lives at home, and Anna Miriam married Frank Tizzard, of Dayton; and has one child, Hazel.
Mrs. Cook's maternal grandfather, James Russell, was one of the earliest settlers in Dayton, locating there when there was but one house in the place. Having purchased land in Washington township, he built a log cabin upon it, and then brought his family down the Ohio river on a flatboat to Cincinnati, whence he brought them by wagons to Montgomery county. He was one of the most industrious and energetic of the early settlers of Montgomery county, was one of this county's prominent citizens, serving for many years as justice of the peace, and also as a member of the state legislature. He was a man of remarkable strength, both of body and mind, and lived to be eighty-four years of age.
Mrs. Cook's paternal grandfather, John McGrew, was also one of the early pioneers of Montgomery county, coming to the west from York county, Pa. His farm lay in the river bottoms of Washington township. In 1788 he was married, and removed to Georgetown, Ky., the same year. In 1790 he joined the army to fight against Indians, and was in the great battle of Maumee Ford, which occurred on the present site of Fort Wayne, Ind. In 1796 he removed to Montgomery county and settled five miles south of the present site of Dayton. He became a prosperous farmer, was married twice, was a worthy member of the Baptist church, and died at the age of eighty-two years.
The father and mother of Mrs. Cook were natives of Washington township. Both were members of the Universalist church. Mr. McGrew died October 27, 1868; his wife survived him until 1890, and was in her eighty-fourth year when she died, having lived over fifty years on the farm on which James Cook now makes his home.
